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Received a new BB Angler Pro paddle for paddling the big rig. Also a new Aqua-Bound Spindrift Carbon paddle with adjustable telescoping ferrule. This paddle I am looking forward to being my main paddle this season. As I have always paddled the high angle style I am now looking for a more relaxed paddle. Hoping that I can still paddle hard against wind and tides.

As I un boxed the paddles they had a factory smell to them as that they were fabricated hours before they were shipped to me.

anglerace

The Angler Pro paddle is the the Sea

angler ace ruler

Green color which matches all of my

boats and most of my gear. It also has the printed ruler on it for measuring your catch!

The shaft is carbon fiber and has a 3 position snap ferrule for a maximum feather angle of 60 degrees. The blade is fiberglass making it extremely light weight at 30 oz!

 

spindriftThe Spindrift Carbon is an all carbon paddle with foam core making it the lightest paddle Aqua-bound produces at this point in time weighing in at 24 oz. It is a low angle style of paddle making it a more relaxed stroke.

 

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The telescoping ferrule makes it an infinite feather angle. Also this unique ferrule will extend from 235 cm to 250 cm. It now has the ability to be adjusted per type of kayak to be paddled.

 

I am pumped to be representing Bending Branches and Aqua-Bound this year and am looking forward to using these industry leading products.

Happy New Year!

Typically I am always asked what are my goals for the new year. I always answer well same as last year. To enjoy the sport of kayak fishing to put food on the table and learn some new tricks to angling and to help fellow kayak anglers new to the sport and seasoned. Also representing Jackson Kayak with the up most respect. I also love checking out and testing new products aimed at the sport.

2013 was a pretty successful year. Fishing 2 tournaments and 2 Jamborees along with trying to hit the water as much as possible. I should have counted the days I got out fishing. The plan is to start recording them in 2014.

Firsts for the year included new species to my list. Teaching kayak fishing seminars to over 50 people at a time. The success of a great second Heroes On The Water season. Learning new tricks with video editing.

Things missed this year were team Kipto and the boondoggle.  The weather forced us to cancel the last fishing trip of the year at Kiptopeke. The Yakman wasn’t around the scene as much. Was able to fish with Lunchbox more than last year which is always a good time.

This year looking forward to dirty J-Bay. Hoping to maybe place in the tourney. Prior years i just looked at J-Bay as a fishing tourney that is more chill. This year im going there to fish. This year should open some doors and can only get bigger. Im looking forward to seeing you out on the water or volunteering for HOW.

Good Luck in 2014!!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAA first for me in the fall season a surf launch into 50 degree waters. As I don’t typically surf a lunch anyway due to the local Raritan Bay being such a productive and vast fishing location this was a bit out of the ordinary. Every fall the Striped Bass migrates south like many other species. The migration can last a month or a few days.

I have fished the mouth of the bay near the tip of Sandy Hook in the fall and been successful there. Unfortunately while the fish were migrating through that area the weather did not hold and or I was at work. So unfortunately I missed the northern Jersey Bass migration but last chance headed out with “The Coordinator”  Matt Williams on Sunday.  After an hour and a half of driving and stopping at two bait and tackle shops for bait/lures we arrived at the beach. An area we have never fished before. After loading up and dressing up in dry gear onto the sand we wheeled our yaks to the breakers.  When you drop in the same way all the time and go to a surf style launch you need to do things different. This includes stowing gear. What to take with and what not to take. 

The entry is the easy part its all about timing. The waves were small at this point in time and entry was very easy. Once i was off the beach I unpacked my rods and placed them in my rod holders tubes behind me realizing I had forgot my rod leashes. I figured i would be stowing them in the rod stagers and have never dropped a rod overboard so it would be fine. I didn’t have to paddle far to the birds maybe a 1/4 mile. There were thousands of birds and hundreds of boats. Dead calm too even though there were so many boats you could only breath in diesel exhaust and burnt 2 cycle oil. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIt sounded like a constant oil tanker was going by. Incredible. Fish swirling everywhere. My fish finder was marking big fish on the bottom so i started jigging. About 20 minutes of jigging i went to set up my other rod with a live eel.  Low and behold it was gone. I didnt tighten down my rod holder and it work its way horizontal and my rod slid out. First time in the salt and no leashes. Nice.. If you love it leash it.  So that was a big dilemma. I had planned to fish two rods one drifting live eels and the other casting plugs and jigging. Now i was typing every lure on since i couldn’t find anything that would work although i somehow snagged a window pain (sun dial) with the 3.5 oz Spro buck tail jig! So I at least wasn’t completely skunked.   Finally 2 hours later switching to live eels and drifting around where birds were working. Not even a shake down on the eel. Another hour went by and this is around the time o took the photos. It got cloudy again and then a dense fog rolled in. I couldn’t see 30 feet in front of me. 10 minutes went by and i noticed a ground swell starting.

groundswell [ˈgraʊndˌswɛl]

n

1. (Earth Sciences / Physical Geography) a considerable swell of the sea, often caused by a distant storm or earthquake or by the passage of waves into shallow water.

Upppp and Dowwwnnnn. Still calm and no wind at this time but chances of surf landing successfully was quickly diminishing.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERANow to find the beach. This was one of these gearing up decisions that I made. Bring the GPS or Not to bring the GPS. Well im glad i brought it. I was paddling as i thought towards the beach i look at my GPS and I was moving parallel.  I changed course and a few minutes later i could see the tops of the breakers but that was it couldn’t see the beach. I could see the waves were now huge. So i stowed my rod tackle and gear. I tried to time it out but the waves were much faster than  anticipated. Cleared the first two now about 20 feet from the beach the third one caught me odd turned the boat then rolled me. Into the water i plunged boat flipping . As I came to the surface due to my PFD floating me I flipped my boat over seeing that i had forgot to buckle my center hatch. So a few lures brand new sinkers went streight to the bottom. I righted my boat gathered some of the floating stuff and swam to shore holding the rope i attached to the front handle of the yak. Matt helped me with the boat as i went back in the surf to gather my fish finder which i had detached and stowed which was floating in the water (surprised) a water bottle 2 bags of storm shads and a pair of gloves. Loss was the new spoon i bought that day & 3 sinkers along with a Spro hard swim-bait and a Spro buck tail. All i had to do was latch the webbing straps that keep the center hatch latched closed.

I was happy that I wasn’t injured in the surf. Anything could happen including getting tangled up in the boat rigging to the boat hitting you in the body or the head as its being carried by a wave.

Lessons learned. Everything lost could and should have been avoided. Rods should always be leashed. Stow gear and tackle before landing and don’t forget to secure the hatch their stowed in. Two piece dry gear will not keep you dry at all. It just gives you time to get out of the water. The gear also wasn’t completely tucked together right as i had to open it to relieve myself out on the water. It wouldn’t hurt to bring spare clothes and a towel with you to keep in your vehicle Especially if its cold out.

The ocean is a dangerous place. Plan what you will be bringing what you need for safety. Always wear your PFD.

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